12 
Proceedings of Royal Society of Edinburgh. [sess. 
life, and papers have been published dealing specially with the fungi 
and micro-organisms which occur in the waters of our salmon rivers, 
and which are more or less inimical to their inhabitants. 
Investigations were also made into the development of the common 
mussel, which is so important in connection with the supply of bait 
to fishermen. 
The Fishery Board has also carried on a series of inquiries into 
the temperature and other changing physical conditions of the sea, 
which are known to exert an important influence on the movements 
and habits of fish. These investigations, the results of which are 
published in the various Reports, have been partly conducted at 
certain stations on the coast, partly during the routine work of the 
cruisers engaged in fishery service, and partly during special expedi- 
tions of these vessels. 
In connection with the physical work done under the auspices of 
the Fishery Board, a short hut interesting expedition started from 
Granton in the beginning of September, under the guidance of Dr 
John Gibson, the Admiralty granting the use of H.M.S. “Jackal,” 
which was duly fitted up with a laboratory for the occasion. One 
of the objects of the expedition, which lasted for about six weeks, 
was to establish communications with Norwegian, Danish, and 
German observers, and for this purpose the “ Jackal ” visited 
Bergen, Copenhagen, and Kiel. 
Another object kept in view was to arrange for new observation 
stations on the east coast of Scotland, the Orkneys and Shetland, 
and at the same time to make some further investigations regarding 
sea-water. These observations embraced the temperature, alkalinity, 
specific gravity, and amount of carbonic acid, both free and com- 
bined, at different points in the North Sea, Baltic, and Sound ; 
further, the amount of carbonic acid in the atmosphere was as often 
as possible also determined, the micro-organisms in the air were also 
looked for, and the organisms in the surface water got by the tow- 
net. 
The observations made are in course of being completed, and it 
may he hoped that the Fishery Board will not object to some of the 
results being laid before the Royal Society. 
A large amount of important biological work has also been done 
at the St Andrews Marine Laboratory, under Professor M ‘In tosh, of 
